


Play This Part

by MCRmyGeneral



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Carl is 20, Carl is everyone's little brother, Carl is my baby okay?, Crushes, Future Fic, I also suck at tags, M/M, Six Years From Now, Would You Rather, i suck at summaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-03
Updated: 2014-11-03
Packaged: 2018-02-23 23:07:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2559152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MCRmyGeneral/pseuds/MCRmyGeneral
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You can't control who you fall for.</p>
<p>You can only hope to God that they've fallen for you, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Play This Part

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hopesave6666](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopesave6666/gifts).



> I'm so sorry this took so long! I had like, 7 or 8 pages actually written out, and then I decided I didn't like it, so I scrapped the entire thing and started from scratch. I like this so much better! Then, when it was all finished and typed on my phone, when I went to copy it into my browser, I deleted the entire thing and had to type it all up AGAIN! But it was really fun, and I really like what I ended up with, so thank you! If it's not what you wanted, let me know and I'll try again!

"Jesus Christ, could we have picked a hotter place to ride out the end of the world?" Carl complained, digging the hoe through the dirt again.

Daryl laughed. "Mexico. Don't think it drops below ninety there, _ever_."

"If civilization ever bounces back from this, I'm moving to Alaska," Carl joked, stripping off his shirt and tossing it in the grass, "Don't try and stop me."

Daryl chuckled. "Stop you? I'm coming with you."

"Igloos and blizzards and bobsled races," Carl sighed dreamily.

"Don't forget sno-cones!"

"Of course!" Carl said with a laugh.

"Carl!" Judith squealed, sprinting towards him. The kid was quick, but Carl had great reflexes. He dropped the hoe and readied himself for the impact, grabbing Judith and flipping her upside-down.

"Hey, squirt," He said, tickling her.

"Look, look, look!"

Carl righted the girl and set her on his hip. "What, what, what?"

Judith grinned, showing him the small gap in her mouth.

Carl gasped, humoring her. "Another one?" He flipped her again, shaking her, "Another one? I thought I told you you weren't allowed to grow up anymore!"

Judith giggled and Beth came walking up to the group. "Her third tooth in as many months," She explained with a proud smile.

Daryl snatched the child from Carl's hands. "Don't you listen to him, Kicker! You grow up as fast as you can! Pretty soon, you can help us fight."

Judith gasped, her eyes widening in excitement. She'd been wanting to kill walkers since she was old enough to understand what they were.

"Daryl Dixon, I oughta smack you," Beth warned, ever-protective of the child that was as much her family as Carl's.

Judith ignored her, hugging Daryl, then recoiling in disgust. "Ew, Daryl, you're all sweaty!" She laughed, trying to squirm her way out of his hands.

"Oh, am I?" Daryl laughed, gripping her even tighter to his chest.

Carl laughed and helped Daryl, sandwiching the girl between them.

" _Ew_!" Judith screamed, trapped between two sweaty bodies.

Daryl and Carl both cackled.

"You stop that!" Beth scolded the boys, grabbing the girl. "Gross! Now she needs a shower, or she'll smell like stinky, sweaty boys."

"That's the smell of man, baby," Carl joked, deepening his voice and flexing.

Daryl rolled his eyes, but as soon as they righted, they landed on the muscles straining in Carl's back.

Beth rolled her eyes too, and walked away, Judith blowing raspberries to the two over her shoulder.

"Nobody's interested, _boy_ ," Daryl teased, throwing Carl's shirt on his head, "Now put your clothes back on."

"It's too hot for clothes," Carl complained, pulling it off, "Especially if you expect me to keep hoeing this field."

"I'll finish."

Carl's smile fell. "I was just kidding, Daryl. You know I don't mind the work."

"I know. But I'm sure Beth and Carol have a million other things you could be doing. Besides, the field isn't a two-person job, anyway. Might as well divide and conquer."

"You sure?"

Daryl nodded.

"Oh, you're my hero. This heat really _is_ killing me," Carl complained, wiping his forehead with his shirt. "I'll see you at dinner?"

"Yeah," Daryl mumbled.

He watched as Carl walked away, his shirt slung over his shoulder. And for the fourth time today, Daryl mentally cursed himself for the thoughts running through his mind. He shouldn't feel this way. Especially not about Carl. But it wasn't really hius fault.

Puberty had been _very_ kind to the boy, who'd been taller than his father since he was sixteen. He'd gotten Lori's height, and her hair. He'd never really been a fan of scissors, so he just let it grow. By now it fell past his shoulders in thick chestnut waves. His face had lost it's roundness, and his body had long ago abandoned the image of boy for man. His muscles had formed, hardened and grown quickly. He was chisled and cut all over, the manual labor of rebuilding the prison and fighting the undead keeping him in better shape than any gym membership could've. He was one of the strongest in the prison, the one most often called on for heavy lifting.

Daryl couldn't help it. As a boy, Carl had been cute, but as a man, he was downright sexy, looking straight out of a Calvin Klein ad. With his parents, it wasn't hard to see where he got his good looks.

When he was a kid, he'd been a goold soldier; quick to volunteer for the good of the group, and brave. Those qualities only intensified with age.

Carl had grown up a good man, something everyone at the prison could take a little credit for. Daryl had taught him how to track, his father how to shoot. Glenn had the boy driving before his fourteenth birthday, and Hershel had taught him the finer points of farming as soon as they had the means. After the group had found a domesticated a trio of wild horses, Maggie had taught him to ride and care for the animals. Carol taught him to cook, Michonne showed him how to handle a melee weapon, and Beth taught him everything she knew about childcare (before everything had gone down, she was planning on going to school to be a neonatal nurse), and she even gave him singing lessons on occasion.

They'd all had a hand in the fine man Carl had become. He was an amalgam; the best skills from everyone. In the six years they'd been at the prison, they'd grown into a true family, and Carl was the little brother everyone loved.

Though Daryl had been the only person to fall _in_ love with him.

 

####

 

After Daryl was finished with the crops, Carol asked him and Glenn to secure the perimeter.

They started at the same spot, traveling in opposite directions, dispatching the potentially problematic walkers as they made their way around.

Daryl was just approaching the basketball court when he heard voices. Carl's and Patrick's. That didn't surprise him. The two were usually hanging out together when they weren't doing chores, and when they were together, they were usually on the basketball court. Though, the snippets of conversation Daryl was catching were rather intriguing, so Daryl snuck closer to hear better.

"Karen or Sasha?"

"Sasha."

"Sasha or Michonne?"

Carl laughed. "Are you kidding me? Miche would fucking _murder_ me if I even tried!"

"It's a hypothetical, Carl."

"Well, then hypothetically, Michonne. Jessica or Maye?"

"Jessica. Got a thing for blondes. Tyreese or Carol?"

"Tyreese. Carol is too much like a mother to me. Karen or Maggie?"

"Ooh, that's tough. They're both pretty sexy. Can't they double-team me?"

"Nope. Pick one."

"If I have to pick, then Maggie."

"Predictable."

"Lizzie or Mika?"

"Lizzie by default. Mika's too young to even hypothetically fuck."

"Not necessarily. How old is she now?"

"Let's see... She was 9 when she got here, so 15 now?"

"You're right. Too young."

"How about Zack or Beth?"

"I'm not into dudes. You know that."

"Yeah, but it's a hypotectical, remember?"

"Yeah, well. Beth either way. Ooh, I got a good one!"

"Lay it on me," Carl said confidently.

"Glenn or Daryl?"

Daryl blushed, but Carl didn't hesitate with his answer.

"Oh, Daryl. Daryl in a heartbeat."

Daryl cocked an eyebrow in surprise, then smiled a little smugly.

"Really?"

"Why do you sound so surprised?"

"I don't know. I just can't imagine anyone having sex with Daryl. He just doesn't seem like that kind of guy. Plus, I kinda figured you'd go for Glenn."

"Well, don't get me wrong, Glenn's a good-looking guy. Daryl's just... Daryl. You know?"

"You'd really rather fuck Daryl than Glenn?"

"Absolutely. And Daryl's not the kind of person you 'fuck'. He's not like that."

Daryl's smile got softer. This was how Carl saw him?

"Hmm... Daryl or Sasha?"

"Daryl."

"Daryl or Maggie?"

"Daryl."

"Daryl or Beth?"

Daryl knew his streak was ending. Carl's crush on Beth had been obvious to anyone and everyone with one look. He turned to walk away.

"Daryl."

He stopped mid-step.

"Okay, now you're just fucking with me. _Really_? Daryl over Beth? Haven't you had the hots for Beth for like, ever?"

Carl chuckled. "That faded a long time ago. Honestly, Patrick, there's not a single person in this prison you could pit Daryl against that would win."

Daryl's heart skipped a beat. What?

"You would honestly take Daryl Dixon over anyone else in this prison? Even Beth or Maggie?"

"Yep," Carl said confidently.

"Sounds like someone's in love," Patrick teased.

"Shut up," Carl said with a smile in his voice.

"Man. Daryl Dixon. Carl Grimes, you are a weird one."

"You just don't understand him," Carl accused softly.

Daryl walked away with a smile on his face.

 

####

 

Daryl sucked in a deep breath and scanned what little of the horizon he could see, but nothing had changed. Same old woods, same old walkers, same old death stench that they'd all gotten used to long ago, same old soundtrack of moaning, groaning and growling.

His breathing stilled and his eye was drawn to a shadow moving on the ground below. The crunching of gravel was way too loud against the low monotone of the undead. Daryl raised his crossbow and aimed at the sound, which was coming closer and closer. With a slow exhale, he began to squeeze the trigger, preparing a bolt to fly...

"Hey, Daryl!" Called a deep voice from the exact spot he'd heald in his crossbow sights.

Daryl jumped, gasped and dropped his bow all at the same time.

"What the fuck were you thinking, Carl? I was about a half-second away from launching a bolt right into your skull!" Daryl yelled, shining his industrial-strength flashlight at Carl's face.

"Jesus, can you point that somewhere else?" Carl groaned, shielding his face.

"That's what you get for sneaking up on me! Do you have any idea how easily I could've killed you? How close I came?"

Carl's face fell. "Sorry. I guess I'll just head back, then..." He said, turning away.

"Oh, shut up. What did you want?"

Carl turned back with a grin and gallopped his way over to the guard tower, climbing the five flights of stairs in record time and popping through the trapdoor.

"I wanted to show you something," He said excitedly, digging in his pocket.

"Whoa there, buddy. What exactly are you trying to show me?"

Carl smiled, and in the light of the flashlight, Daryl saw his embarrassed smile and the neon blush riding high on his cheekbones.

Carl pulled his hand from his pocket and opened it. Daryl flashed his light on the small plastic bag containing the glittering gold fragments in his palm.

"Dad and I had to go fuck with the water pump in the creek, and I saw these in the mud."

Daryl looked from Carl's hand up to his face. He looked like he was having the time of his life.

Sometimes it was easy forget that Carl was still a kid in so many ways.

Though he was mature and brave, with a good head on his shoulders, he was easily excited, and found wonder in the simplest of things. Daryl envied that. Through everything he’d seen and done, Carl still retained his sense of child-like joy. He refused to let himself be tainted by what the world had become. It was one of Daryl's favorite things about the boy. He desperately hoped that Carl would never lose that quality.

“That’s pretty cool. How many pieces you got?”

Carl shoved the bag back in his pocket. “Seven or eight. I was thinking of taking Jude down there tomorrow. I think she’d like panning for gold. I mean, it’s kinda lame, and we don’t have the chemicals to refine it or turn it into anything of real value, but still…”

“It’s a good idea. Kicker’ll have fun.”

Carl chuckled. Daryl had shortened Judith's nickname from “Lil Ass-Kicker” to just “Kicker” when she started talking. She was a quick learner.

“You, uh… you don’t mind if I share the shift with you, do you? It gets boring inside.”

“You’re welcome to stay. Though it’s boring out here, too.”

“Eh,” Carl shrugged, “Better company.”

Daryl scoffed lightly and leaned against the railing. Carl mimicked his posture, and Daryl got a good look at the veins and tendons in his wrist straining against the skin.

_Stop that,_ he scolded himself. _You shouldn’t be lusting after someone at least 15 years your junior. Especially not the leader’s son! What would Rick say if he knew the things you thought about his son?_

Honestly, Daryl didn’t give two shits what Rick would think. He was just trying to derail his thoughts. It didn’t particularly work.

Daryl sighed.

“What’s wrong?” Carl asked softly.

“Nothing, I guess.”

“You _guess_?” Carl asked with an eyebrow cocked.

Daryl chuckled, and Carl joined him.

As they laughed, Daryl thought about everything that had happened that day. All the little signs… With another deep breath, he decided to go for it; step to the ledge and take the leap. And if it didn’t turn out how he wanted, then at least he could make a joke out of it.

“So…” Daryl drawled.

“So what?”

“Beth or Maggie?” He asked, a shit-eating grin stretched across his face.

He didn’t even need the flashlight to see Carl's neon blush, or the embarrassed smile. Or well, what little of the embarrassed smile he caught before Carl buried his face in his hands.

“Oh, my God!” He chuckled, and Daryl laughed at him.

“You guys sounded like teenage girls!”

Carl shook his head. “It’s just for fun. Completely hypothetical. And it’s not always who we’d rather fuck. Wait, you were spying on us?” He accused with a hand on his hip, looking sassy and sexy all at the same time.

Daryl smiled guiltily. “I was circling the perimeter. I heard some things, and I was curious.”

“Eavesdropper,” Carl said with a smile. He wondered what Daryl thought about his answers. If he told Michonne that Carl would fuck her if he had the chance, he’d never live it down. He tried to remember who else had won earlier.

Oh, God.

Daryl could tell the exact moment Carl realized what he’d heard, because he shot up straight, his eyes went wide, and his face lost all color.

“Oh, my God.”

Daryl’s small smile faded quickly. Carl looked horrified.

“I-I…I,I,…I-“ Carl stammered.

“Kid, relax.”

Carl choked out a fake laugh. “Like I said, it was all completely hypothetical. Just for fun, you know?”

“Yeah, I know,” Daryl said, looking down at his feet.

Carl furrowed his brow. “What’s wrong?”

Daryl shrugged. “Just, you know… Kinda hoped it wasn’t, that’s all,” He mumbled.

Carl's lips parted in shock. “What?” He whispered.

Daryl looked out to the woods, lit around just the edges with the first tinges of pink. “Can’t help it, Carl. Watching you grow up, seeing how you take care of your family, looking at the man you’ve turned into. I'm sorry.”

Carl smiled softly. “Don’t be. I'm not.”

“What?”

“I can’t help it, either, Daryl. You’ve always watched over me, my family. You’ve been a brother to me for years. Always kinda wished someday you,” He shrugged, “Might be something more.”

Daryl looked at the piercing blue eyes he knew so well. There was a smile lurking deep inside them.

Looking up at Carl (Jesus, since when did Daryl have to look _up_ at the boy?) Daryl smiled. Slowly, he leaned in, Carl copying him…

“Motherfuck!” Daryl cursed, when suddenly there was a blinding light on his face.

“What the hell?” Carl called down to whoever was holding the flashlight on the ground.

“Shift change,” Rick chuckled.

“Right on time,” Daryl groaned.

“Come on,” Carl said with a smile, nudging the man and following him downstairs.

Rick was leaning against the tower when they met him on the ground, arms crossed and looking sassy.

“Am I interrupting something?” He asked with a knowing smile.

Carl blushed and Daryl laughed. “Nah, you’re okay.”

Rick turned and walked through the doorway, peeking his head back out a second later.

“Be easy on him, will ya? What would we do without our tracker?” He teased with a wink.

Daryl was about to argue that he didn’t need to be ‘taken an easy on’, but Carl grabbed his hand and pulled him away, laughing.

“See you at lunch, Dad!”

Rick watched with a smile as his two favorite men walked away, hand in hand.

**Author's Note:**

> I guess I'm open to taking prompts, cuz so far I've done two prompted fics, and they're some of my favorites I've ever written.
> 
> Send me a request at ieroween1031.tumblr.com, or MCRmyGeneral8@gmail.com.


End file.
